Airmen deployed to maintain the U-2 Dragon Lady for its mission over Southwest Asia have amassed more than 155 consecutive launches of the high-flying reconnaissance aircraft without a maintenance-related cancellation. The crews of the 99th Aircraft Maintenance Unit from Beale AFB, Calif., perform “day in and day out,” with “awesome teamwork,” said MSgt. Craig Van Valkenburgh, the 99th AMU production supervisor.
A new White House policy calls for the Pentagon to craft plans for additional space launch facilities to support a projected increase in launch demand that could see the U.S. supporting as many as 1,000 launches by 2030, more than a fivefold increase from 2025.